Chapter 6---When In Need

Hogan knew exactly what he had to do concerning part of his problem as he headed towards the radio room. Reaching his destination, he sat down at the radio, grabbed the headset, and held it to his ear. With his other hand, he changed the radio dial to their special emergency frequency that was used only in emergencies.

"Papa Bear to Goldilocks. Papa Bear to Goldilocks. Come in Goldilocks."

"This is Goldilocks, Papa Bear," a British voice replied over the radio. "Go ahead."

"Need to speak with General Butler, Goldilocks. Urgent. Repeat, urgent."

"Hold on Papa Bear." There was what Hogan considered an unusally long period of silence before he heard the voice of his best friend in London.

"General Butler here, Colonel. What's so urgent you had to contact me on the emergency frequency?"

"Tom, I've got a big problem. Right now I'm trying to formulate a plan to resolve it from a personal angle, but I need your help from a military standpoint."

"Sounds serious, Colonel."

"It is, General," Hogan explained. "I attended a scheduled meeting tonight with an underground agent code name Skyhawk."

"Skyhawk's one of our most trusted operatives with the underground in Germany."

"Turns out when I went to the rendezvous place I was met by General Wolfgang Metzger instead."

"Metzger?" Butler remarked with a hint of surprise in his voice. "What was he doing there? Wasn't he the same General you recovered the art he stole from a French museum a year ago?"

"The same. Seems Skyhawk works for Metzger, Tom, and has for at least one year. Metzger wants me to recover the art and get it back for him. He's given me two weeks to do it. If I shoud fail, he promises to either turn me in to the Gestapo and Major Hochstetter, or send a photo I believe has been doctored along with a negative showing me meeting with Skyhawk with proof that I'm supposedly a traitor so that I'll either be hung or go to prison for life. He also said he would have Skyhawk testify against me proving I'm a traitor. I'm using the emergency frequency because I can't take the chance Metzger might be monitoring our transmissions."

"Good God, Colonel. Was he serious?"

"Very. As I said earlier, I'm trying to come up with a plan to let Metzger think I'm trying to recover the stolen art while at the same time give him a one-way ticket to London. But whatever I decide, I'm going to have to play it very careful. Metzger's no fool. And he's made it known he's going to be watching me."

"We can get you and your men out of Germany in seventy-two hours if necessary, Colonel. Just give me the word."

"No. I don't believe it's necessary to close up shop. Not yet. I believe I can handle Metzger. But I'll keep your offer in mind if things start to go wrong. Right now, I just wanted to inform you as to what's going on so that I'm covered from a military standpoint and have an allie in London if something happens."

"Don't worry, Colonel. I'll handle it personally if anything like what you've described should be received here."

"Thanks, Tom. Oh, one last thing. If for some reason you need to contact me, I request you do so on the emergency frequency so Metzger won't know what's going on."

"Will do, Colonel. Be careful. From what I understand, this General Metzger is not to be fooled with. Good luck. Goldilocks out."

"Thanks. Papa Bear out."

Hogan tossed the headset on the table and immediately switched the radio back to it's original frequency. Then, with a sigh, Hogan, resting his elbows on the table, clasped his hands together and rested his chin against them. After awhile, he pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed wearily. He got to his feet and headed out of the radio room, down the corridor and climbed back up the ladder to the barracks.

When Hogan stepped over the bedframe and into the barracks, he found the barracks dark and the prisoners in their bunks sleeping. Despite the lights being out, Hogan knew how to manuever in the dark. He struck the hidden mechanism and kept the bunk from noisely landing over the tunnel entrance. Then, he quietly made his way towards his quarters and entered, closing the door behind him. He changed into his pajamas without turning on the lamp in his quarters and, climbing into the lower bunk, stared up at the bottom of the empty bunk above him, unable to sleep despite being exhausted.

In the command room, unbeknownst to Hogan, Kinch lay awake in an empty bunk. He had watched his commanding officer come up from the tunnel and go to his quarters, closing the door. He was deeply worried about the Colonel. Something was terribly wrong, and he knew if Hogan didn't share whatever was wrong and soon, the pressure of keeping it to himself would soon eat him alive. Kinch decided at that precise moment that he would try again to get the Colonel to open up to him tomorrow.

Newkirk lay in his top bunk on his side with an arm bent under his head. He too, had seen the Colonel re-enter the barracks and then his quarters. He was worried about his commanding officer. Something was eating away at the Colonel, and Newkirk decided he wasn't going to let the Colonel shoulder whatever it was alone. I'll find someway to get you to talk to me, Gov'nor, Newkirk thought to himself. Whatever's eating you, Colonel, I'll find some way to get you to open up to me. Somehow. Someway. I'll find a way to help you.

Carter lay on his back with hands clasped behind his head in the bunk below Newkirk's. He heard the Colonel come back into the barracks and the door to the Colonel's quarters close. He was afraid for his commanding officer. That cut on his chin and those bruises on his wrists told him someone had not only struck the Colonel, but had tied his arms too tightly. Carter knew something had happened to the Colonel when he met with Skyhawk, but for some reason he didn't seem to trust them enough to tell them what went wrong. But Carter didn't care right now. Somehow, Carter told himself, I'm gonna get you to talk to me, Colonel.

LeBeau had been lying in his bunk with his eyes closed, but unable to sleep. Then he heard the Colonel come back into the barracks and make his way to his quarters. He was very concerned about the Colonel. Something was troubling his commanding officer and he was worried. Je me suis tres soucie vous, mon Colonel(1), LeBeau told himself. Somehow I will find a way to help you open up to me. You should not keep whatever's troubling you to yourself.

(1) "Je me suis tres soucie vous, mon Colonel" means "I am very worried about you, my Colonel."